Pitching propelled Creighton to a 5-0 Sunday victory and a 3-0 series sweep over Illinois State while a powerful offensive display put Indiana State ahead of Bradley 16-2. The Sycamores joined Missouri State, which beat Southern Illinois 5-0, as series winners on Sunday. Wichita State completed a non-conference, four-game sweep over North Dakota State with a 9-5 victory over the Bison.

Indiana State 16, Bradley 2

PEORIA, IL – (Courtesy Indiana State Media Relations) The Indiana State baseball team continued its offensive explosion from the night before, routing the Bradley Braves 16-2 in a game that was called after seven innings due to the 10-run rule.

Matt Shelton posted Indiana State’s first complete game of the season after allowing just two runs on two hits while striking out eight and walking none in seven innings of work.

Indiana State scored four times in the third and added five in the fourth to jump out in front 9-0.

Gary King started the offensive explosion in the third as he was hit by a pitch, advancing to second on a Chris Schmidt sacrifice. Back to back singles by Nick Ciolli and Brady Shoemaker scored King but the big blow of the inning came with two outs off the bat of David Brumagin, who smacked a home run over the left field fence to put ISU up 4-0.

In the fourth, Pascual Del Real and King walked with Schmidt getting ISU’s second big hit of the game, a three-run home run over the left field fence, to put the Sycamores up 7-0. Nick Ciolli followed with a walk, stole second and scored on a Brady Shoemaker single to center as ISU led 8-0. Shoemaker came around to score on a Brian Jett single.

After Bradley scored twice in the bottom of the fourth, the Sycamores posted two more runs in the top of the fifth. King reach first after he was hit by a pitch for the second time in the game and went to third on a double by Schmidt. Both runners scored on a double by Shoemaker.

In the sixth, Jett singled with one out, stole second and scored on a Ryan Strausborger double. King followed with a single to center with Strausborger coming around to score to put the Sycamores in front 13-2.

The final three Indiana State runs came across in the top of the seventh. Shoemaker singled with one out and advanced to second as Zane Chavez grounded out. Brumagin followed with a singe to score Shoemaker and Jett came back with a tripel to score Brumagin. Del Real got ISU’s final RBI of the game when he singled to left allowing Jett to cross the plate.

Creighton 5, Illinois State 0

OMAHA, Neb. --  (Courtesy CU Media Relations) A four-run first inning was more than enough support for Creighton starting pitcher Mike Nihsen, as he threw seven scoreless innings to lead the Bluejay baseball team to a three-game series sweep over Illinois State with a 5-0 victory Sunday afternoon at the CU Sports Complex. Creighton improved to 18-7 overall and 4-2 in the Missouri Valley Conference, while the Redbirds dropped to 9-13 and 0-6 with their eighth straight loss.

The Bluejay offense was rolling early, as five of the first six batters reached base in the first inning. Robbie Knight was hit by a pitch to lead off the game, advanced to third on a single by shortstop Elliot Soto and then scored on an RBI single by first baseman Darin Ruf. After a sacrifice bunt by Steve Winkelmann, second baseman Vicente Cafaro laced a triple to right center field to score Soto and Ruf, putting CU ahead 3-0. Right fielder Nick Nordgren singled home Cafaro to increase the lead to four.

Nihsen (2-0) was in control from there, as he never allowed a runner past second base. The sophomore right hander struck out a career-high seven ISU batters and allowed only three hits in his seven innings of work.The outing matched a season-long for the Bluejay pitching staff and was a career-best for Nihsen.

Ruf added an opposite field home run in the bottom of the seventh to account for the final scoring in the contest. Ruf’s fifth long ball of the season put him in a tie for the team lead with Nordgren and Winkelmann.

Senior Kevin Dooley came in to record the final six outs, including four by strikeout. With the two scoreless innings, Dooley lowered his team-leading ERA to 2.03 for the season.

Illinois State starter Jim Sajewich (1-3) suffered the loss, allowing four runs in one inning of work. Tyler Cox kept the Redbirds in the game with five effective innings, allowing one run on three hits. Eric Thiesen logged the final two innings.

Ruf led the CU offense with a 2-for-3 afternoon, adding a pair of RBIs and runs scored. Soto also turned in a multi-hit day, while Knight reached base four times in the game on an HBP, two walks and a single.

Missouri State 5, Southern Illinois 0

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – (Courtesy MSU Media Relations) Freshman southpaw Aaron Meade pitched the best outing of his young career and Nolan Keane and Chris Playter eached homered to give the Bears a Missouri Valley Conference series victory over Southern Illinois with a 5-0 win Sunday afternoon at Hammons Field.

Meade (4-1) went a career-high 7.2 innings and struck out seven Salukis while scattering four hits and issuing one walk. He retired 14 batters in a row at one point, and only one SIU baserunner advanced beyond second base while he was on the mound.

Keane broke the scoreless tie in the bottom of the third, crushing his third home run of the year off SIU starter David Kington to bring home Playter and Ben Woodbury.

Playter got his long ball in the sixth, blasting a line drive over the left field bullpen to score

Christian Overstreet and make it a 5-0 game.

Pat Doyle recorded the final four outs for the Bears, including the final fly out with the bases loaded in the ninth.

Missouri State improved to 17-7 overall and 4-2 in MVC play. The Salukis dropped to 13-10 and 3-3 in the league.

Wichita State 9, North Dakota State 5

Wichita State (20-3) topped North Dakota State, 9-5, Sunday afternoon and picked up its fourth win of the weekend.

Reliever Khol Nanney improved to 3-0, earning the win with three perfect innings and two strikeouts.

Clinton McKeever went 3-for-5 with two runs as the designated hitter.Tyler Hill and Andy Dirks ended with two hits and one run each. Dirks contributed three RBI, while Hill added two.

The Shockers put up their first run in the fifth and tallied four in the sixth to gain a lead they would not relinquish. Tyler Weber drew a lead off walk and McKeever had a shot off of third baseman Eric Nutzhorn for a single. Tyler Hill took one back up the middle for a hit to load the bases. Starter Matt Bowar walked in a run before reliever Shane Bushland took over on the mound. Williams was on board with the walk and picked up an RBI on the play.  Dirks poked Bushland’s first pitch through the right side for a single that scored McKeever and Hill.  The remaining runners moved up to second and third on the throw to home by right fielder Sebastian Miles. Ryan Jones grounded out to second, but it was enough to allow a speedy Williams to score from third and put WSU up, 5-3.

The Shockers kept at it, scoring two runs in both the seventh and eighth innings. With two outs in the seventh, McKeever doubled in Weber who had worked a full count for a walk. Hill traded places with McKeever on a double of his own, hit into the left-center gap.

Dirks was on board in the eighth on four-straight balls and a walk to Jones on a wild pitch followed, allowing Dirks to reach third and signaling the end of reliever Chad Berg’s short appearance. Conor Gillaspie fired one over the right fielder’s head for a double and RBI.  The bases were full of Shockers once again as Dusty Coleman was hit by a pitch. A sacrifice fly by Weber pushed home Jones, making it 9-3 after eight innings.

The Bison took advantage of Shocker miscues in the top of the ninth, scoring two runs in large part to two WSU errors. Kenny Beese reached on a misplayed grounder by Gillaspie and David Williams followed with a single to right field. Chris Paterson hit in one run with a single to shallow center field and Coleman over-ran the ball allowing a second run to score. WSU hung on as Hefflinger flied out to left field, ending the game with a 9-5 Shocker victory.

Wichita State is back in action Tuesday, April 1, as the Shockers travel to Lawrence, Kan., to take on the Kansas Jayhawks at 7 p.m.